Gaia Series 11: Migrating To Sano City, Tochigi Prefecture And Ama Town, Shimane Prefecture

COVID-19 has changed the way people live and work. In Japan, data shows that nearly 40 per cent of people are interested in relocating from the city to rural areas. Popular prefectures include Shizuoka, Fukuoka, Yamanashi, Nagano and Gunma. With many people thinking of relocating, different towns have introduced perks to attract them. For example, households that relocate to one of Yamagata Prefecture’s 30 municipalities will receive a year’s worth of rice, miso and soy sauce. Fukushima Prefecture will provide up to two million yen to households who move to one of its 12 municipalities.

We first focus on Sano City in Tochigi Prefecture. Its popular Sano Premium Outlets mall – boasting nearly 200 shops and restaurants – attracts more than seven million visitors yearly. The city is also famous for ramen, with its transparent soy sauce soup and firm wavy noodles. There are around 150 ramen shops in the city, all of which are experiencing a boom in business. But Sano City’s population has been dropping. It was around 116,000 in 2020 and it is estimated that the population will drop to below 80,000 by 2060. 

This is why Mitsuru Ozeki from the Sano City Comprehensive Strategy Office at Sano City Hall wants as many people as possible to relocate to Sano and help in revitalising the city. Two years ago, the city started a project called Sano Ramen Yobiko. As part of a “support system”, people who relocate here are taught the know-how of making ramen. Running a ramen shop is a relatively stable job in this city so under this project, those who are relocating also receive help in opening a ramen shop. It is the city’s way of encouraging them to learn a trade and reside here permanently. So far, about 10 people have enrolled in the programme and opened three shops. An example is Sayoshi, which is owned by Yoshiyuki Sato. He was previously a chef at a Japanese restaurant in Tokyo but was a novice when it came to making ramen. After joining Ramen Yobiko, he picked up the necessary skills and opened his own shop in just a year.

Another person who wants to relocate to Sano to chase the “ramen dream” is Kimiyuki Hatori. Until two years ago, he was a buyer for a restaurant chain. COVID-19 got him thinking about changing jobs and starting a new life. He chose Sano City as he had lived there before. He is accepted as an enrollee at Sano Ramen Yobiko. The nine-day course costs almost 150,000 yen and if the trainee decides to move to the city, he or she will receive 100,000 yen back as a reward. 

The first day of training is about Sano ramen’s characteristic wavy noodles. The instructor, Dainari Goka, teaches Mr Hatori bamboo kneading, a traditional technique used in making Sano ramen. On the second day, Mr Hatori is taught how to make the transparent soup. The next day, Mr Ozeki from Sano City Hall takes him to Menya Brass, a restaurant run by Katsuyuki Sugawara and his wife Ayumi. They are the alumni of Ramen Yobiko. Mr Sugawara used to work at a factory for a manufacturing company in Akita Prefecture. The Sugawaras learned the basics at Ramen Yobiko and opened their own shop in December last year. 

On another day, Mr Hatori attends a classroom lecture about finances and loans and also gets management guidance from a business consultant. The nine-day training also includes a local real estate company referring him to some properties, not only for his home but also as possible candidates for his shop in future. Mr Hatori also receives on-site training at a popular restaurant, where the owner shows him the preparation process. On the final day of training, Mr Hatori tries his hand at making ramen and is assessed by Mr Goka, the instructor. After completing the nine-day course under Ramen Yobiko, he receives a certificate of completion. After this, he will be attached to a restaurant as a trainee and the aim is for him to open his own ramen shop within a year.

We next shift our attention to Ama Town, a remote island that is part of the Oki Islands in Shimane Prefecture. It has a population of around 2,300. There has been an influx of people relocating to Ama Town. About 20 per cent of the population are people who have relocated, with the majority being families. This is because of the strong support system for those raising children on the island. 

Another factor which is attracting people to live here is a new and unique way of working on the island. Those who relocate here and join the Ama Town Multi-Career Cooperative will get to experience at least three jobs within the first year. They will then choose the job which best suits them. One person who has benefited from this initiative is Minami Kuga, who moved here from Fukuoka. Her job options were fishing, forestry and the fish processing sector. She got to visit a seafood processing plant for the island’s marine products and also experience fixed-net fishing. After two months, she finally chose forestry as her first job. It requires her to work in the mountains. She trains under Mr Marui from the forestry cooperative. She lives in a house that was built 50 years ago. It is a women-only shared housing provided by the island and Ms Kuga stays with three others who have relocated to Ama Town. Her rent is 25,000 yen, including water, electricity and Internet access. 

Tips:

1)    Many prefectures have special perks for those who choose to relocate to one of their municipalities
2)    Ramen is a must-try dish when visiting Sano City in Tochigi Prefecture
 

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